The remaining three children of Janet Gimba, the Kaduna customary court judge, have been freed after 15 harrowing days in captivity. Godwin Ochai, chairman of the Kaduna branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), confirmed their release on Tuesday.
Family sources also verified the news via a telephone call.
The ordeal began when the judge and her four children were abducted by bandits who stormed their residence in Mahuta, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis, on June 23. At the time, her husband, a medical doctor, was away on duty. Tragically, one of the children, a 14-year-old boy, was killed in captivity when the family couldn't raise the N298 million ransom within the stipulated time.
Nine days into the captivity, on July 3, the bandits released Judge Gimba but continued to hold the three children. The ransom demand was then reduced to N150 million, with a three-day deadline threatening the lives of the children if the amount wasn't paid. Family and friends of the judge turned to social media, pleading for help from compassionate Nigerians.
The specific details of the children's release have not been disclosed.
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